The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-11
him, "and don't forget mother" Then she
kissed him and let him CO.


scene, together with the CHEEKY bursts OF mar
tial music from the bands, had charm for the
boy, and when he was brought before the colo
mel of the regiment for muster, he tried his
best to look every inch soldier.
When questioned as 10 his age he hesitated
moment, but remembering his mother. he an
swered, q little timidly, as if ashamed of his
youth, II shall be fifteen next March"
He is too young, Judge Cahoule. am very
sorry, but it would be unlawful TO enlist him,
and especially as substitute for strong, able
bodied man. said the colonel.
"Ah, but he is well-grown, strong, active as
q cat, healthy and true grit" insisted the
judge.
Il will venture this much, as personal IA
vor to you and George: l will muster him in
for sixty days and give George furlough for
that time" compromised the colonel.
every well; a half-loaf is better than none"
ly enrolled and ordered to duty in company c,
while George Cahoule. shaking off the
shackles of the army, hurried back home on
the next train, to tell to admiring ears the
wonderful stories of battle.
The sixty days were soon out, and George
Cahoulc was resolved not to return to the army.
Nix needed money, as he always did, and an
offer of one thousand dollars was sufficient to
persuade him to let Robert stay in the army.
He went himself with the Judge to headquar-
tiers, to assure the colonel THAI it was all right
and that he gave his consent. So the Substi-
tute was made permanent: Robert Nix was
enlisted, and George Cahoule was discharged.
The spring and summer campaign opened.
Bragg retreated back TO Chattanooga, sullenly
giving way, inch by inch, while Rosecrans as
stubbornly followed. During this time Robert
Nix stood to his post like veteran. On the
toilsome march by day, or the lonely, watch
ful picket post at night, he never once failed.
A brave. handsome boy, he became tie pride
of his comrades, and pet with his captain.
But an evil day came. day of battle. OF
death and OF ing-Chickamauga, the
dark river of DEATH"
On Friday diminishing began, on Saturday
afternoon the battle opened and on Sunday
morning, calm Sabbath morning, both ar
mics were malshalled in line, face TO face
ready TO cast the fatal die
Up to that time, the last critical moment,
Robert Nix had stood in line, elbow to elbow
with the foremostfile, and then he disappeared,
silently, mysteriously, no one remembered
when on how.
1t was not until roll-call after the battle that
he was missed.
''lIe was in line when we started: but he
must have been killed." was the report Of the
orderly-sergeant.
1t was nearly two months afterward when
guard arrived from Atlanta with a SQUAD of
prisoners, deserters arrested at home by the
conscript cavalry, and brought back for trial
Among these, with o puzzled look of inno-
cence in his eyes, was Robert Nix.
Without explanation he was sent to the
guardhouse, and charges of desertion in tho
face of the enemy were preferred against him.
in the regular routine OF events a court-Enar-
tial was convened and he was duly arraigned
Ilere il LIT e cegen}ony and still less senti-
NDJsts u NJ fIsfaf HSlIEf Stsaf 4Ise4f Il &c
barbarism and all its adjuncts are cruel. But
little mercy, then, could be expected from d
court in which the responsibility of conscience
was divided, and could be shifted to other
shoulders. Slight chance was there for the
youth and artleSs frankness Of the prisoner to
avail him in the trial.
1,a md, af,N Ia Ill
lawyers instincts for distorting the evidence
to suit his case. But the evidence needed no
distortion, it was fatally plain and to the point
Lieutenant Snow testified that the prisoner
private Robert Nix, was present in line Of bat
tie on the morning of September goth, 1863
and that before or during the engagement that
day he disappeared, without leave or authority
and was not heard of again until he was
brought back to his command, under guard
Sergeant Bliss. acting orderly of Company G..
with soldiers bIuntDess of dction, corr0bo-
rated the lieutenants statement.
Captain Earle, OF the conscript service, tes-
tilted, "that, having been advised by Judge
Cahoule, citizen OF Alabama of the where
abouts, he proceeded to the house, and after a
strategic investment of the premises, he sue
ceeded in arrcstng him, and finding him with
out leave of absence or written order, he Sc
curely tied him, and brought him back to the
front.
This closed the testimony for the Judge
advocate.
"Now, sir, what have you to say?" asked
the president of the court.
eff you please, sir, here's q paper Mr.. Phil
Wood wrote for me, and told me TO give it 10
you" presenting closely written scrawl.
The president read it, II was q fatal confess
sion of guilt, and appeal to the clemency of
the court.
The president was just man, though some-
what callous, and seeing the ignorance of the
prisoner, tore the paper into shreds, without
submitting it to his court.
"This paper does not effect the case in tho
least. You must answer me now for yourself,
How old are you?" he asked.
81 shall be fifteen in March,
"HOw came you in tho arny?"
"My papa hired me to Judge Cahoule, to take
the place of his son, Mr.. George Cahoule."
did You want to Gomez
eyes, sir, for a little while / only come for
sixty days, to give Mr.. George fullough.i
"And when the time was up, you went
home?"
como, sir; Mr.. Cahoule give papa thousand
dollars TO make me stay all tho time. I beg
ged to go home, but Colonel Mitchell said my
papa hada right to do as he pleased with me,
and l had to stay"
"Well, what made you ran away from Chic
amauga?"
II didn't run, sir with proud flush and
an unconscious Strengthening mp,
Chow did you get away, then?"
81 was Shot, sir, and hoped back on my
gun to the hospital, Gad the doctor sent me off
to Ringgold, on wagon"
You say you were shot"'
eyes, sir, ! was shot in the leg, 1 can show
you the scar"
"Lct us see it,"
The prisoner rolled up his trousers, and dis
played an ugly scar in the calf of his left leg.
THAT will do. Now tell me how IL happen
ed that none Of your command saw you"
"Wcll I'll tell you all about it, You see We
wanted water, "a | Of us and as we were standing
in line, waiting for the word, | asked Captain
Rich if ! moughtn't run back and git q drink,
and he told me yes, to make haste and get back,
and 50 / run back as hard as ever ! could but
the creek was further than thought, and afore
got back, the fight had begun and the rcgi-
ment was gone, and the provost guard they
picked me up and put me in squad with
Trigg's Virginia regiment and we sailed in,
and the first thing / Mowcd ] felt my leg
knocked out from under mc, and when ] tried
to get up fell and found that ] was shot, and
The major Of the regiment told me to get back
if / could, and II gOuldA t., to hollcr lOr the
litter-learer.
"But ] could hop by using my gun, and 50 /
just lObbled back, but / didn't run q step. l
wouldn't a. run like q coward for 70 save my
life, for my mamma told me never 10 do that
Nou may all shoot Inc if you want to, but
amt no coward.
You say Captain Rich told you TO 90 after
watcr2'
eyes sir. he did,